Wednesday, 30 December 2015

After my AM walk, I sat down for mantra chanting along with a modest showing of
people in the temple. We then did discuss about the birth of Jesus and compared
notes to the birth of Krishna. We observed
some parallels.

The events surrounding both Krishna and
Christ’s birth involved much intrigue during the political climate of the time:

1) - Christ: He appeared during the time of the corrupt King Herod.
- Krishna: He appeared when there was the
corrupt King Kamsa

2) -
Christ: During His time there was an order that all male children be killed.
- Krishna: All of Krishna’s male siblings were
killed before his birth.

3) - Christ: Born in a barn in amidst cows.
- Krishna: After His birth He was transferred
to a household where he mingled with the cows as he grew.

4) - Christ: His parents fled, and at birth, baby Jesus was hidden.
- Krishna: After His birth, he was taken for
hiding to the countryside.

5) - Christ: It is believed He was born at midnight.
- Krishna: He was born at midnight.

6) - The sound of Christ very much resembles the name of Krishna,
which has a variation to the word Krista.

The above was our simple analysis. We also observed a similarity in the
disposition of both Christ and Krishna. They
both held in their character a sense of peace, yet they were known to exhibit
anger at times when necessary.

A group of us were invited to the city’s oldest Hindu community centre, the
Hindu Prarthana Samaj near HighPark. We were invited to
a program to let loose the holy name in their large meeting room with their
many murtis (deities). Hanuman, the powerful body-built demigod that so many
people adore, was set in his shrine. He seemed to be loving the chanting. The
Divine couples, Radha Krishna and Lakshmi Narayan, were also smiling in the
presence of the sacred sound. There was also the quadruple deities of the
Ramayan, centrepieced by Sita-Ram. They seemed delighted.

Prominent, also, was the Siva Lingam, the deity of creative potency. It
was difficult for me to discern whether Siva’s manifestation of prowess was
joyful at the sound, but judging by the current company, the lingam must
have also been elated.

When I entered the room at 6:40 PM I could hear my Bengali friend, Ajamil,
singing. As usual, he excites people with his special kind of 'spunk.' Then,
Pradyumna from Montreal
wooed with a mystical melody when he lead. I took the role of the dance
motivator. Yes, for Christmas, it’s probably better to dance to the music than
to walk, unless, someone is singing Silent Night while trekking somewhere, and
allowing its soft projection to move in the fresh evening air. It was
unmistakably a good celebration.

Some devotees came up from Montreal.
We walked through a misty air. One of the walkers, Marc Andre, remarked, “It’s
like a life, isn’t it, moving through fog?” To that we had a chuckle, while
simultaneously it struck the nerve of reality. The laugh made light of gravity.
There’s a famous line by Ken Kesey, in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” –
“Man, when you lose your laugh, you lose your footing.”

We did our footing, practically, through Rosedale,
and through what appeared like a mystical mist. We were chanting softly. Only
periodically would we stop or interrupt the chanting.

Tina, who was with us, fell a little behind. Compared to the others, her legs
are more tiny. “Tiny Tina”, I thought. Another cause for laughter, but I really
had to hold it inside because I didn’t want to disturb. This brahma muhurta
hour, the hour at which we’re walking, is very sacred. It is the time before
the passions of the day spill out.

And what about this time of the year? It’s rather messy, I would say. You know,
that time before Christmas when maddened motorists and shoppers do the squeeze?
There’s the squeezing-out of time, the squeezing-out of space, and the
squeezing-out of the budget. Peace isn’t coming as it should.

“Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men (and women).” The Earth is tense with
threat of terrorism looming in the air. It’s not a laughing matter, rather,
it’s one of concern.

Christmas, for a long time, had not been my favorite time of the year. I recall
that before becoming a monk, I became quite disappointed with all the
commercialism which puts a lot of haze (fog) into the lives of people.

I had this
blissful stopover in Vancouver,
a neat hour of time to spend with three of our monks there. They brought me
breakfast, they brought me news of the previous day's success, in terms of
Bhagavad Gita sales in Vancouver.
Recall that it was the anniversary of the Gita's being spoken on that ancient
battlefield in northern India.

With the
boys we took some precious moments to look at travel plans for the coming
months. I'm happy, except for not being able to walk today. Only airport
corridors provided some of that after I departed. On flight to Toronto I caught up on some reading, and then
watching a National Film Board (NFB) documentary on something that conjured up
a deja vu called "The Back Breaking Leaf". The film zeros in on the
tobacco harvest in New Delhi, in southern Ontario. Set in the
fifties, this old black and white flick brought me back to my youth when I used
to labor in the stuff. It was extremely hard work. What I got out of watching
it was the camaraderie built around it - the teamwork- and from my own
experience, the never give up attitude.

Apply the
policy of stick it out, and something will become of you. I am well aware that
adjusting our sales is necessary, and that our energies sometimes need
re-channeling. The pain point is that the energy or the 'drive', if you will,
that we have should always be directed to the positive, to that which sustains
- the Source.

With it
being my last day on the island in Hawaii
before going back to Canada,
I took the opportunity to reflect on my stay here.

To begin,
the Vaishnava/Krishna community had been really great to me, providing me with
a room on the second floor of the temple; a room with a cross ventilation that
welcomed the comfortable ocean breeziness, and sometimes storminess. Special
preps were made for me, although I'm fine with the regular fare served. My
stolen Oofos shoes were replaced with a new pair of Crocs. Devotees went out of
their way to please.

I was very
satisfactorily engaged in giving classes, mostly in the morning. I spoke, from
the Bhagavatam, a section on King Vena- a corrupted dictator- and how
progressive sages united to dispose of him through "high sounding
words" (mantras). Those sages acted swiftly and also expressed the
concern about the residual effects of the monarch's loss by seeking a
successor. Basically, the topics dealt with, "how do you address both
practicality and spirituality in the aftermath of disaster?"

My visit
wrapped up with a kirtan at WaikikiBeach, with the above
mentioned spiritual family consisting of godbrothers like Srutakirti, Narahari,
and Raghu. I was told that President Barack Obama was in town for the holidays.
I hope he had the chance to hear our kirtan. I was anticipating that the
general public- the beach and bar goers- would like our Krishna
'caroling.' Literature on Krishna was also
being passed out. People were receptive.

When I did
make the final goodbyes to Gurudev, who sponsored me, and others who saw me off
at the airport, one fellow behind me in the security lineup said, "I saw
you on the highway by the NorthShore the other day. It
was obviously you!" To this I confirmed for him that I'm a pilgrim, and we
can all be pilgrims.

Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Radha is the name of the parrot who is lovingly being looked after by her
owner, Narahari. My finger just got too close to her as I was trying to be
friendly. She lives at home with Narahari, a haven of a place with tropical
gardens, Koi goldfish fountains, and an exotic home with an Indonesian touch.
Narahari has been doing 700 marriages a year at this house of his, which is
also a tourist attraction. If you’re getting a marriage solemnized here, just
stay away from Radha, who is very pretty to look at with his blood-red
feathers.

Now, just across the road, and with a few meters walk, you land yourself on the
beach known as Hale’iwa Alii. It was here that our guru, Srila Prabhupada,
touched the ocean in the early 70’s, got wet, and splashed himself. Just down
the street called Laumilo at number 911, he did spend some days. You can
consider this area a place of pilgrimage.

Narahari was relaying this information to Gurudev, Madhan, and I, while we were
taking a stroll over the sand. We were actually going to sail today, but high
winds restricted us from making the journey to Gilligan’s Island.

Being Sunday, the globally known Hare Krishna Sunday Feast was held at the
Iskcon center, where I was asked to speak. My chosen verse was 9.2 from the
Gita, and, since tomorrow is the anniversary of the Gita being spoken, which
coincidentally falls on the winter solstice this year, it was deemed
appropriate to explain how this dialogue brought forth Krishna’s
sublime wisdom as the raja-vidya, the king of knowledge.

What else can be said of Hawaii?
Well, you have exquisite beaches, moderate weather, rainbows, pineapple groves,
mild people, and finally, no billboards! It’s illegal to have one. That makes
it like heaven.

Madan was
kind to drive me to the place where I left off from the day before, at Pearl
City Mall. From there it became a series of complex ramps leading to highways
that became part of my route for the day. Because it was 4:30 AM, and it’s a
Saturday, these tight ramps were passable. Eventually, I made it to Highway 99,
and while still dark (and raining), a Hawaiian fellow stopped and offered a
ride. I responded the usual way.

“Thanks so much, I’m a monk, and I’m walking to promote pilgrimage....” One
hour later, and he came back with a bag of goodies, including banana bread and
M&Ms. He stopped and held up quite a back log of traffic. He was determined
to please.

I encountered a bit more of the same. One after the other, motorists stopped to
offer rides, and of course, I had to courteously decline, and they would go on
their merry way. Being Saturday, I believe people generally carry a more
chilled out mood.

It was actually a tree that also demonstrated charity. This was a guava tree
situated along the side of the road. I recognized it as such for there being a
single piece of fruit that lie under it. It was hard to detect any more fruit
hanging from the tree, I just had a wish to have one undamaged fruit to try. It
would be nice for a refresher. At that moment, a sizeable guava fell from a
high branch, landed on the soft grass below, and rolled its way right to my
feet. Yes, it was mystical, and yes, it tasted fine, sweet and succulent.

Madan and I made it to the north shore after 6 ½ hours of my walking on OahuIsland,
passing many pineapple groves. We then took a swim close to where all the
surfers do their thing. As I’ve experienced in the past, walking and swimming
go hand in hand. Our final destination was at the home of Vrindavan Das, who
hails from Bengal, and in his home, he has an
elaborate altar set up. I consider that- a 32 mile trek from Honolulu in the south, up to the north shore-
to be an actual pilgrimage, since it entailed going from one temple to another.

My godbrother, Narahari, could understand 100% what I was talking about when I
mentioned hip issues while walking for hours along the road’s slant. He said, “It’s
like the beach, it affects your hips and knees. We’re getting too old for that.”
He’s 67, I’m four years behind. But even a young spring chicken of a fellow
could feel the challenge on his skeleton walking along the slant of a river or
the slant of a beach.

Fortunately today, on a snap decision to go on a moderate marathon walk, the
trail through the guts of Honolulu
– industrial, residential, and even the dwellings of homeless people under
bridges, was relatively flat.

I managed with the assistance of Madhan, and a support vehicle, to make it
through a 12 mile stretch. Moving along the northern edge of Pearl Harbor Base,
and up to Pearl City Mall. The people, I find, are generally mild and timid,
but respectful, and as what would be expected, the youth are wired up to ‘listen
in’ and be ‘zoned out’. In the evening, our planned outdoor kirtan at WaikikiBeach was cancelled due to high winds
and rain. In its stead, our group of devotees gathered to read, as I charaded
out the story of Krishna and Princess Rukmini’s
elopement. A passage that really grounded us was a statement by author, Srila
Prabhupada, wherein he says, “A peaceful mind is the basis for becoming
truthful, clean, equipoised, self controlled, and tolerant.”

Madan Gopal, originally from Oklahoma, had
settled down here on the island
of Oahu. He was kind
enough to drive me to the south shore where we could enjoy a brief walk to MagicIsland,
which is actually a peninsula. The distance wasn’t much, as the divine pressures
of time propelled us to make it for the 7:30 darshan at the temple.

Later in the day, Gurudev and Madan drove us to the island’s far western
corner, where a famed lighthouse is situated. There we hit the sand allowing
ourselves to be by the ocean’s waves, which swept up a number of those blue
bottle jellyfish. The blue bottle bear this toxic, nematocysts that sting you
and leave a paralyzed feeling. I know little about the blue bottle, but I’ve
seen them in the water in Durban
with their long tentacles. It reminds me of the numerous sea creatures that are
actually a bit dangerous.

It is awesome how there is this diversity of living entities that populate the
water and the world, some of which come across as seemingly hateful. Perhaps
human beings excel in this area. There is the statement by Nikola Tesla,
inventor of many things, who said, “If your hate could be turned into
electricity, it could light up the world.”

On the brighter side, Gurudev had hosted a number of people to his home, where
he asked that I speak about a number of experiences on the road. In the group
was Balabhadra, renowned for his sustaining cows and training oxen. He flew
from his home in Florida
to see his mom who just turned 100. A letter was sent from Obama’s office congratulating
her.

I’m now en route to Hawaii
and it is by way of air travel. Actually, it’s Air Canada that is my carrier. It
appears to be a new aircraft, a 7-something-7. Passengers are noting the
spacious leg room. There’s no screens, which is probably good. You may rent an
iPad, if you want. The meal is optional and you pay for that as well. All
payment is done by credit card, which rules me out. It ended up being a fully
capacitated but quiet flight. Hey, we can all do with a little more shanty,
peace, right?

I took a good amount of time to reading “Journal of Vaishnava Studies”, which
is probably my favorite of all reads; outside of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
material. I also managed to secure a copy of the “Globe and Mail” newspaper to
catch up on the world scene. There was a whole spread on the truth and
reconciliation of native children in Canadian residential schools, and the
government’s response towards amending. It got me quite emotional looking at
pictures of the kids who lead very disturbed lives, beginning with being taken
away from their parents. These tragedies went on from the late 1800’s to 1996.

I was greeted by Gurudev Allin of Honolulu
after the plane touched down. Family and friends of his were kind to drive me
to the local Iskcon temple; which just went through a major battle fumigating
termites. Even Hawaii
is not heaven.

One strong feature about life in the material world – there’s bugs everywhere.

Do monks eat pizza? Answer is yes, in our order, we do. Do monks take sweets? I
confess – sometimes. Do monks partake in samosas? Most definitely.

When it comes to eating I do not break rules, but there is one condition, the
menu must be prasadam; food offered to Krishna.
‘Consecrated’ would be the word. We talked a little bit about the process of
consecration, that is, food transformation, at the home of Jaya Sachi Suta and
Julan Yatra, a very nice mature couple of siblings that hail from Fiji. They also
ended up being the cooks to the meal that we enjoyed.

In addition to the above mentioned items on the menu I relished the juice,
something called 'sour sop,' a macaroni salad, and tomato soup, as well as
tamarind and coriander dips. It was a killer of a meal. This couple always
spoils me. Other guests were there also.

For more information about a monk’s lifestyle in Krishna Consciousness, it
really has much to do with eating, sleeping, meeting, and defending.

Now when we meet, whether it be amongst monks, lay members, or newcomers, we
usually open a book and read something enlightening. I took the liberty at the
gathering to pull off the shelf, Canto 1 of the text ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’
to the chapter, ‘Questions by the Sages’. The passage I read and discussed
spoke of the hunger to the hearing of Krishna’s
pastimes. The passage read much like a description of a succulent meal. The
‘pastimes’ were described as ‘sweet’ and ‘relishable’.

So, I got to thinking, that sacred verses or sacred passages are like a feast
of a delectable magnitude.

A young nursing student, Kuvera by name, and I, took to a trail that leads you
to the FraserRiver. It was dark at 5:30 AM but
somehow Kuvera spotted the feather crane perched on a tree's branch and
overlooking the creek. Instantaneously, he reminded me of a yogi in deep
meditation, although more probably he was in slumber. At the sound of our
footsteps and hushed words of his acknowledgement, he turned his neck and kept
that eye on us revealing his proud beak.

We felt that the area is his turf and from that higher elevation he could be
most observant over the space, including any meal that might make its way, in
swimming format, from down below. He was inspirational to see there in solitary
serenity; an admirable state of focus.

I made a visit to see a god-sister, Padyavali, who is spending her days in a
seniors' home. Three of us guys, Kripanidhi, Manu, and I, spent some time with
her and she really came across in the spunkiest and most jovial mood. We shared
in a boisterous time in our corner of the lunch room. I believe she really
needed the attention. After all, we may be spiritual, but there is also a call
to be human. There's time to be a crane, but not all day long.

Time was also spent in visiting members of the community who will remain as
such when given attention. It is an obligation, a privilege, and an honor.

The last installment of visitations was held at the weekly 'Holy Cow Kirtan'
session in Vancouver,
where we engaged people in kirtan and dance. I'm blessed to be part of a
movement that offers a balance of introspection and joy.

I had done
a quota of minimal kilometres but now it was time to sit down. It was 6:10pm
during the Sunday Open House at the Burnaby
temple, and such is the customary time for a delivery of words from “The Gita”.
The crowds are not very big at this time and, like most temples that I’ve seen
in Canada, the US, and
practically all over the world, the volume of people goes on the rise closer to
feast time.

In any
event I sat down at the special asana referred to as the vyasasan,
designated for the speaker. I sang the standard song of devotion “Jaya Radha
Madhava”. Then I opened to the page in Bhagavad Gita, 7:13, and
began to read the powerful words from the purport authored by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

“The whole
world is enchanted by the three modes of material nature... Every living entity
under the influence of material nature has a particular type of body and a
particular type of psychological and biological activities accordingly...
Although life is temporary and we do not know what we are going to be in the
next life, by the spell of this illusory energy we consider ourselves in terms
of this bodily conception of life, and we thus think that we are American,
Indian, Russian, or brahmana, Hindu, Muslim, etc.”

On the
basis of this message we were able to convey something that allowed people to
listen, to process, and then it’s up to them- to act or not act- as all souls
have their free will.

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

I bid my farewells to my brother, Paul, as we puddle dodged along ElkLake’s
shoreline, close to Highway 17, en route to SchwartzBay
where you catch the ferry for the mainland.

Yes, the ferry. It was, today, a very scary ferry as it was pulling out of the
harbor. I preferred to remain on the lowest deck possible where traffic was
parked. While seated in the car of Jaya Govinda, I could see the automobiles
and vans shake around me due to gusts of wind. Waves were crashing at the
ferry’s walls, and anybody that happened to be walking along the side of the
deck was practically swept off their feet due to the swift gale. On the PA
system it was announced at one point to all the passengers aboard the ferry,
“Try to remain in your seats, and if you must move, then hold on to the
handrails.” And the announcements went on, “In case of an emergency…”

Thoughts were definitely milling through my mind along the lines of: “What if
this is the time that I am to leave my body, and it will come through drowning?
Will I be mentally prepared? I better put it to practice now – HARE KRISHNA.”

Well, all went fine in the end. The two brahmachari monks that came to join me
along with Jaya, were all survivors thanks to the responsible sailing of the
ferry operators.

Thanks, guys!

I was keen to attend a program called, “Enchanted”. By good fortune and nothing
else, we made it to our destination through an ongoing storm to the district of
the infamous 'Main and Hastings',
and to a warehouse by a dark alley door, inscribed on it, “Karma
Teachers”. There we did chant, dance, and some went into what seemed like a
trance in the psychedelically lit room full of kirtan enthusiasts.

We went wild, but we felt safe.

Here’s a quote from Einstein, “A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not
what it’s built for.”

My host, Adosha, took me on foot to SwanLake to circle it. It’s
more like the size of a pond, but it was pleasant to be by nature. A second
stroll for the day was down a piece of the Trans Canada Trail, which is a foot
path that is 17,000 km long. Here we allotted only 4 km at best. It was some
panoramic scenery worth remembering. Just a little bit north of Victoria, we took to the
trail where you find a former wooden trestle railway bridge. En route we saw
some cute signage on someone’s adjoining property that read: ‘No trespassing.
My dog’s got a gun, and he hasn’t taken his medication.’

This is cougar/bear/elk country. The type of place I consider a gorgeous chunk
of Canadian landscape. It was actually my brother Paul and his good wife,
Joyce, who brought me here to show me this incredible landscape. The scent of
coniferous trees is a pervasive feature of the area. Outside of seeing a heron
with his wide wing span, we saw no other aspect of wildlife, but that’s
alright, who needs to tangle with a bear or a cougar right now?

There’s a program we needed to conduct tonight and it was held at Adosha’s
place in the Victoria
area. It had been a struggle to keep a continuous sangha going in Victoria for some time
now. Perhaps we were given another chance to initiate a regular program for
establishing a higher consciousness. I would say that our discussions were
inspirational and they centered around the value of the human body, which at
least I identified as having two purposes:

While seated in Govinda’s dining room, I had with me at lunch, Mandala, and a
guest from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her name is Jan Peters. She’s a dear
friend and is very helpful for lining up programs and speaking engagements in Canada’s far
east coast. Our quaint meeting then was held with the intent to have a great
meal, and secondly, to discuss the when, where, and how our next trip to St. John’s will look
like.

When? Definitely, I’m set for a visit there in January however, which day is
yet to be determined, and the purpose will be to establish, at least in
practice, pilgrimage. The person behind the inauguration of the East Coast
Trail is Robert, and he will be there to take a group of us on a mild-to-rugged
walk. The theme will be to honor dear ones who have passed away. In any event,
the notion of pilgrimage has some people interested, as opposed to just walking
a trail for the sake of a workout. I’m very much anticipating this.

At 8 PM I flew off on a five hour journey to the far west coast, to Vancouver
Island, to do much of the same; as usual, to attempt to raise the consciousness
in a humble way. A program was planned at Adosha’s apartment. I arrived at the VictoriaAirport late at night. As a favour for
Adosha, Jed came to pick me up. Jed told me a little bit about his life’s
challenges, and as a monk, you can expect this kind of thing coming from
people, and it’s just fine. I asked him his last name, to which he responded, “Bachman”.

“Wait a minute, I know that Randy Bachman from The Guess Who rock bank has
lived out here on the west coast for some time. Any relation?”

“Yeah, he’s my grandfather,” said Jed.

“Really?” And then we went on to talk about the small world in which we live,
and how Randy was a no drugs, no alcohol type of rocker, and also how Randy and
I had both been featured in the same documentary, ‘The Longest Road’, a
National Film Board NFB production.

Tuesday, 15 December 2015

An afternoon stroll was really more like a roll, and had Mandala and I moving
through Bloor, Chinatown, Spadina, and U of T
districts. Mandala was the one taking greater note of people’s response to
seeing a monk (me) in a city that sees almost anything and everything.

In front of a church a man standing there did an exaggerated pranams (folding
of hands) upon seeing us. Two guys were cycling along, and one says, “Hi
Shaolin monk.” A kid about 6 walking with classmates opened his mouth as wide
as Krishna when revealing the universal form,
upon seeing me.

These were some responses that permitted Mandala and I to respond. This is the
basic principle behind acting. Acting means reacting. Reacting never really
stops. There’s always a drama.

Mandala and I were actually rushing to get back to a planned rehearsal at the
ashram, a reaction to a tight time-frame. We got back only to find out that the
rehearsal was cancelled. Somebody just couldn’t make it. That produced a
reaction in us. So you see, everyone is either acting or reacting. Also,
everyone has an audience, whether it be those intimately next to you, or just
God in the heart, Paramatma, being there. There’s either the sun, moon,
or both always witnessing you; if not, the gods of nature, the devatas. “The
world is a stage,” Shakespeare informed us.

When I try to recruit someone for a part in a drama, sometimes the response to
stage fright is, “I can’t act.” My answer is, “But you already are acting,
everyone is always acting (reacting).”

7:14. The figure popped up twice this morning. This is the verse from the Gita,
and it appeared in my reading to the resident monks, quoted within a purport of
Chapter 3. Then again when delivering the class based on Canto 9 of the book Bhagavatam,
7:14 showed up again in the verse’s explanation. “7:14 has something to say to
our group,” I thought.

What does 7:14 say? Here’s the translation:

“This divine energy of mine consisting of the three modes of material nature is
difficult to overcome, but those who have surrendered to Me can easily cross
beyond it."

The energy referred to is the energy we are steeped into. It is nature. We use
it. It gives us sustenance and happiness. It also kills us in the form of
death. It entangles and implicates us in ways that we can find no ‘out’.

“It is hard to overcome,” states Krishna.
However, the second part of the verse offers hope. “Through surrender, through
transcending, you can overcome.” “It is difficult, but it is possible,” is what
is implied. 7:14, then, is a verse that tells us to never give up.

I had spent several hours in the ashram office today planning and booking for
the next 2 months of travel. Valuable time was also given to the rehearsing of
our drama, “Krishna Is”, in preparation for our “Bhakti Mela” to be held
on December 28th at a theatre in Brampton. After hours of expending time
indoors I decided to go for real air and get some walking in. I admit it was
difficult to get moving initially, but I was thinking about 7:14, about
surrendering and getting beyond.

December is a great month for gift giving. May I recommend a gift of a book – Bhagavad
Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It’s
not just a book, but a classic dialogue, classic, meaning ‘for all times’. It
is a communication between the soul and God, and how the soul feels weak at
times and needs encouragement from God.

God (Krishna) speaks directly to the soul
(Arjuna) about responsibility (dharma),and how eventually liberation (nirvana,
moksha), or a freedom from ongoing troubles, can be achieved. Ultimately the
message is about surrender. Surrender is equated to love. It refers to the
ultimate sacrifice, to let go, let God.

The soul sacrifices because essentially it belongs to God whose disposition is
the Supreme Soul. In fact, all souls belong to the One Supreme Soul. Once the
souls reach that sublime destination, there is full satisfaction. It is hoped
that all souls will reach this ultimate position, a position of devotional
service. Service (seva) is what the soul’s function, in essence is; it is
always joyfully executed.

That’s why the dialogue of the Gita is relevant and worth the time. It
is the gift of wisdom.

Shoes or
No?
Praveen, Mandala, and I took a short stop at the BataShoeMuseum on Bloor during our walk. I would
like to think that there’s some connection between shoes and walking, so we
stopped. I was relaying to the other two how I had been inside before to view
the displays. There are these stacks that were worn by Elton John. I also
remember on display, the personal shoes of Glenn Gould, the renowned pianist. I
was most intrigued by a pair of chappals used by an Indian Maharaja, a king.
Each time his foot came down with his heel pressing to the shoe, a device
inside shot out perfume.
Walkers need shoes, or so we’re told. It was about ten years ago that I was
just one block away from the museum on Bloor when I was chanting. A young chap
on bare feet got on my case for wearing shoes. He was part of a growing
movement that goes shoeless. I suppose he felt, since I’m a monastic, I should
show by example what renunciation is really all about.
That was nice of him to suggest that. I do hope his calluses are what he wants
them to be, tough and hard. Personally, I would subscribe to such a radical
fashion, but perhaps in a place where temperatures are more mild, and where
there’s natural dirt everywhere, free of sharp objects, broken glass, and
pavement. I felt that when he told me I should be the example, that I need to
pay attention to a directive from our guru that he did not like his students to
be without footwear. Yes, he (Srila Prabhupada) was a teacher who never cared
for what may be perceived as a hippy look.
When doing pilgrimage in Vrindavan,
India, on the
trek around Govardhan Hill, it is the preferred approach, you go barefoot. In
fact, it’s generally regarded as an offense to sport shoes on the feet on such
sacred ground.

My stay in Cuba
had been rewarding. Within my one week there, my legs got fixed up. It was
Umesh, who travelled with us, that did the massage healing. He treated my legs
as though they were roti dough. He kneaded them back into shape.

That, among other things, allowed me to reflect on the Cuba trip as a
success. Now that I am back at home base, more repair (or let’s say ‘preparation’)
had to be executed. I went to the dentist for a filling on my wisdom tooth
(lower right). Upon arrival to the clinic, and after having a hard look at the
tooth, it was determined that it would be better to take it out. The job was
done, hence, I’m about 2 grams lighter.

This is all mechanical work of course, you can call it ‘care’ for the
machinery, and this is done in order to function on a longer and more effective
basis. It’s looking after yourself; clearly a part of the bhakti system. In
order to care for others, you must invest in care for yourself. Care for the
self doesn’t mean to be excessive or to go overboard, it means to give the
right amount.

As Sri Krishna informs us in the Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 16:

“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too
much, or eats too little, sleeps too much, or does not sleep enough.”

Then Verse 17 reads:

“He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation, and work,
can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”

The message is to be temperate, or moderate, in what one does.

I have to remind myself that extreme walking is not moderate, and I’ve done
that. Therefore, I’ve been having leg issues, from trekking through those hills
in Pennsylvania.
Thank you, Umesh, for fixing them. The 7 kilometres of today won’t kill me.

Last Glance
Hayagriva and I took a last glance at the ocean’s beach. The air was still,
there was hardly a ripple on the water’s surface. Barely, you could see a
dividing line between ocean and sky at sunrise. A touch of magic, really.
Off we went to the airport, and a three hour flight to Toronto. I was contemplating about Cuba and "what would a walk entail,"
from Havana to Santiago, a distance just shy of 900 km. The
only thing that would hold me back from such an endeavour is time, plus the
apprehension I feel about diesel fuel spewing out of people’s exhausts. It’s
rather nasty.
Also, while in flight, I contemplated the various options people have as to how
to see their God. Let’s look at it from a Vedic perspective. Up above the
cloud-line the sun is visible, and its brilliance is cast throughout. This
vision, of sun rays in particular, is sometimes compared to the brahma jyoti,
the ‘light’ that people call God.
As we made our descent through poofy clouds, when land below becomes visible,
with its patterns on its surface, this may be compared to the localized God
(getting close), called paramatma. Finally, when one lands, one sees all
things very close up. You see the field, the trees, the plains, the people.
This can be compared to seeing God in detail.
These three aspects of the Divine are known as Brahman (the joyous light),
paramatma (God in the heart and in the atom), and bhagavan (God in full, with
all human-like, personal traits). You can appreciate God in any of these forms.

It was a relaxer of a day for Hayagriva, Nanda, Umesh, and myself at the
resort. I took advantage of the opportunity to catch up on reading, writing,
and overseeing Hayagriva typing what I guess you could say are “reports” on my
recent walk in the States. It’s always good to do this kind of inventory of
thought; recalling what achievements were made on pilgrimage. It’s easy to
forget the joys of it all, and the challenges. It’s necessary to write it all down
and then share it with those who will benefit from it. Then it’s time for
planning the next walk.

I did pull
out a map to look at what it means to tackle the road in May of next year. The
starting point at New York City, en route to San Francisco, should be
an exciting time. I’m anticipating it with adventure and therapy.

I also
received a strong recommendation from a Spanish monk of our order, Yadunandana
Swami, to explore the famous Camino de Santiago for the following year, in
2017. Perhaps I’ll cover a short distance of the long stretch.

My reasons
for the treks are multiple. One of the things that drives me is to get out,
meet people, and take some interest in their spiritual life. I was reminded of
how important this is.

At a buffet
at Memories resort, where we checked in six days before, I met this lady who
was eager to know. I believe she was Canadian.

“Oh! And
what do you represent? Is it Rajneesh?” she asked.

“No! It’s Hare
Krishna!”

“Oh yes! I
used to see you guys in India
all the time. My, you were so outgoing then.”

I believe
she was referring to the 70’s or 80’s. I would hope that we could still be
known for our extroversion and for our good deeds.

CubansCienfuegos is a
gem of a town; well, with 150,000 residents, it’s hardly a town. It has a great
commons area with gorgeous colonial buildings around it. There’s a car-free
promenade and the main street, that does carry traffic, has this broad
boulevard with trees and benches. The place is located by a bay off the Atlantic and so it lends to a serenity along with tourist
dynamic.

Like
anywhere on the island
of Cuba, the fumes from
exhaust emitted from any form of transport is unforgivable. The people? I love
them. They are warm-hearted, simple, and sociable. They like walking but
perhaps they don’t always have a choice. Money is hard to come by. Food is
rationed. People look good, as well-built creatures. Their clothes are tight;
not always what a monk cares to look at. Their hair and attire are up to the
mark of the latest fashion, from what I could tell.

Are they
swimmers? I don’t know. The group of devotees following us from town to town
were divided in their willingness to join Hayagriva and myself into the salty
waters. Perhaps it is because of the jellyfish. Yes, Hayagriva got stung by
one. Umesh Patel, bold as he is, took it as a mission to capture and hold them
in his palm and toss them away. He was also daring with urchins and did the
same with them.

It was near
the beach that an arranged indoor program, at a public venue, failed to
materialize. The key to open the door was lost but we sufficed with the use of MeliaPark
across the street. It turned out in our favor. People had easier access to our
message and mantra. Some came with intent, others were park-browsers and
some heard our kirtan from their balconies. That’s what formed an
audience. I spoke. Hayagriva translated. I played the drum.

Thursday, 10 December 2015

For the
first time in a long time a good massage came my way. In a session last night
headed by Umesh, locals Adideva and Ekanath worked on my legs as if they were
chapati dough. They worked at the knots in my thighs, a collective accumulation
from the recent walk through the U.S’s northeast and the trek through the
Canadian Rockies by way of Crow’s Nest Pass. It was relieving and a much needed
work-out for me and for them.

Along with
Chaitanya Priya, a teacher at the university, we made a head start and trekked
along the six lane highway to Rodas and towards today’s presentation. Holding
our interest was the numerous herds of cows and as far as I understand, cows
are not slaughtered unrestrictedly but only at the point of old age.

Another
point of interest was observing the low fern-like plants called dormidera. Upon
touching its delicate leaves, the plant closes up or turns as if lying down to
sleep. In the two-hour-plus trek, I believe I met more pedestrians in that time
frame than all the people I met walking or cycling while I was in the
countryside during the U.S. Walk. The negative side of the Cuban outdoors is
the nasty exhaust spewing out of the old car models.

Our ride
arrived and we drove to the home of Sruti where I conducted a “Nine Devotions
Workshop”. This was much appreciated, especially with my trusted monk
assistant, Hayagriva, who does all the translation during presentations. It was
a happy bunch and whereas yesterday, our audience was a nice mix, today we
captured the hearts of middle-aged mothers. It was good.

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Walking
today entailed moving through the Boulevard in Santa Clara, going back and forth between
engagements, a deliberate japa walk, the home of Madhumati, the Teatro space
and our hostel. The steps add up here and there.

One great
thing about eating in Cuba
is that our community members are becoming a bit more bold in the usage of
spices. The traditional Indian masalas of garam and chat are making the
difference for Cuba’s
guests (us). I’m glad we have gone beyond the bland stage and I believe that
when it comes to offering the preparations of yuca, rice, okra, cabbage, beans,
etc. to Krishna, there’s a few more happy
hearts.

Yes, food
is the thing. At Teatro, the place where we hold sangas (gatherings) every
year, we were able to distribute some nice edible surprises, in terms of
flavour, to the newcomers. Not only was the eating a success, the kirtan became
a hit. In the midst of the jumping/chanting session, Alex, the magician, got in
the circle to enact some tricks. It was a great event and fell in sync with the
Cuban rhythm.

There was a
group of guys, punk rockers, who browsed their way into our venue and I could
see that initially, they sat themselves down carrying an attitude. With a whole
lot of not much for young people to do in Cuba, kirtan with a beat and a song
and some willingness makes an incredible difference. The ice was broken and the
group of uniquely shaved heads and metal pieces stuck in their bodies joined in
the fun. I would call them a great group of guys.

One Iranian teacher who currently resides in Cuba came forward to receive
diksha,initiation into Krishna Consciousness. After having lived and
taught in Russia, she has
now landed herself on the island
of Cuba and is a good
standing member of the community here. On behalf of Chaitanya Chandra Charan,
her guru, I conducted a fire havan with some assistance to make the event what
it traditionally is set out to be. What always makes such an event complete is
a chanting session.

To make the day a day of satisfaction, we visited a 1.5 acre plot of land
secured by Krishna devotees just at the
precincts of the city. There they have banana, mango, and avocado trees and
coming up by the careful nurturing of the devotees are additional plants,
lemons, peppers, yucas and there are prospects for growing more produce for
human consumption. The food that grows in Cuba is tasty and rich in
nutrients; a far cry from the items shipped into the resort where we stay in Varadero.

Carlos and Chaitanya Priya are the heroes behind the farming project
secured by Ikshvaku; names of people worth mentioning. I find that, at this
moment, not all of our available youths are taking interest in cultivating the
land and getting their fingers dirty! Incentive is lacking for some of the more
physical and psychological benefits of the day. It appears to be a worldwide
phenomena, with Cuba
not being the exception. In all reality, growing your own food is definitely a
noble and necessary venture, if not now, then in the near, near future.

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

It’s almost a sin to not take advantage of the ocean’s water
at Varadero.Hayagriva and I obliged
before our trip to Habana along with Nanda and Umesh.

After a two hour cab ride to the city, we were heartily
greeted by a group of enthusiastic devotees who were also recently blessed with
the senior company of Manonath Prabhu, an Italian born student of our guru,
Srila Prabhupada.The Cuban community of
devotees crave for anyone who can give them some attention.They will be the first to admit that they
want regular training in the teachings of Sri Chaitanya’s philosophy, regarding
surrender to the Supreme, Krishna, through the system of kirtan, chanting.

Kirtan crowned the day for us.The venue for this joyous expression was the
art studio of Leo D’Lazaro at 501 Esq. Villegas.With his innovative art pieces all around,
attendees sat in lotus pose, anticipating a “Saturday Night Fever” of a
different kind.Frankly, most of the
people there were our people, familiar with the chant, yet you could feel how
they approached the sacred sound with freshness once we geared up in levels of
surrender, speed, and volume.

A Danish couple heard our chanting from their rented space
through their balcony just kiddie corner from the art studio.They took interest and gravitated over to our
little hub.A professional photographer
also snooped over to our open doors venue and let his curiosity go wild.

My challenge was leading the mantra while drumming on the
mridanga drum. Much work is to be done here in Cuba where the playing of musical
instruments is concerned (not that Cubans don’t have rhythm, they do) as well
as a host of other devotional items that are yet to be known.

The task is on to discuss the implementation of such
things.While returning to our rented
space, we tracked through a city square where all the young folks could catch
their internet communication, hence their connection to the greater world is realized.

I wrapped up this stay in the Toronto area the night before at Dhira’s
home.It’s an annual program where he
invites friends and family for kirtan.He had asked that I share some of my experiences from the recent walk in
the States.It was a great opportunity
to encourage pilgrimage.

For an attempted sleep, I spent the night at Nanda’s place
along with monk, Hayagriva.The three of
us set off for the Sunwing check-in counter at the airport for the trip to Cuba.Omesh joined us.

The only real issue was not catching rest until arriving at
our resort called “Memories”.There, we
also ventured along the beach for a good walk westbound and back.Before reversing directions, Hayagriva and I
sat on the sand for the silent Gayatri mantra and we also adored the clouds,
admiring their variegated images, not the least revealing an avatar or two.

It was a moment to appreciate.

One tourist I met, who was rather mild mannered, expressed
that he decided to come to Cuba,
“before the Americans come to take over and the prices go sky high.”

Personally, our small group of four came to Cuba not just
for the great beaches and decent weather but more so to offer encouragement to
our humble but developing group of students here in the land of mystery.

At least mentally I vowed to one day walk the length of this
largest of the islands in the Caribbean.

I committed myself to remaining in the temple room for this
morning's japa meditation.I paced back
and forth from one wall to the next.To
my comfort and mental peace, the space on each of the two walls was adorned
with Orissan style renderings of Krishna lila.

On the eastern wall there is a depiction of baby Krishna who has tackled the demoness Putana.She lies on her back, devastated, with her
life air sucked out, her bulging eyes on their last sight (Krishna)
and her claws are spread out with bodily hairs extending from her fingers.

This portrayal represents defeat over the ugliness of
evil.It is a triumphant moment.

The western wall's painting displays a scene from the epic,
“Mahabharata” where an attempted shaming of Queen Draupadi is checked by Krishna’s heroic stance in supplying her limitless cloth
to protect her honour.

Yes, it is protection that we seek in this world of
onslaught and insecurity.

While pacing I began to think at one point how important it
is to identify the enemy.We often
mistake our foe for being something external, outside of our very being. Thank
God they pop up to remind us of what we have within.What we think is the enemy is really just a
mirror.It is not Putana that we have to
cuss at or at Dushasan, who attempted to strip Draupadi naked.We have to address the evil that lurks inside
and then start to live.

It was really gratifying, passing valuable time in a
meaningful art gallery/temple.

Sunday, 6 December 2015

I've never heard of anyone getting motion sickness in the
course of walking. However, it is a reality for some people who are
situated in some type of moving conveyance. We encountered two
incidents with two individuals today. It required pulling over by the
highway's shoulder and allowing the poor victims to release.

Naturally there was concern for those persons who were not
having the greatest time with their vomiting sessions. Those of us
riding with them expressed empathy. One tow-truck stopped behind us,
ready to haul us for what he perceived was a breakdown so he could make a
little extra cash. Unfortunately the guy didn’t have any luck and saw a
different kind of breakdown. He moved on.

The actual purpose of the trip to Rice Lake was to scout
around for a piece of property to possibly secure for a rural
development project. The intent is to have a facility or retreat for
future generations where people can have a break from the material
world. The vision for such a retreat will feature accommodations,
gardening, kirtan, yoga, kids' activities and recreational and spiritual
events.

Our agent was great. We were rather open with him as to
who we were - a group of Krishna Conscious people. With that he opened
up and told us about his wild side. At age 19 he got on board a cruiser
as a stow away. There he was, with only swimming trunks on and a
djembe with all his belongings inside. Pretty adventurous I'd say.

There is this rails to trails in Russell that comes to an
end and it is such a shame because every path, I believe, should lead to
somewhere. At Russell's west end, the path becomes partially
impassible, overgrown with prickly, thorny bushes. You can see it
coming. First there is pavement, then a clear well-worn trail, then it
turns grassy or “fluffy”, as expressed in the words of Pradyumna (one of
the comrades with me), and then it turns into “mean forest” at a
certain point beyond a perpendicular gravel road.

What was the trail trying to say?

“I'm the path of no return.”

I think it is more like, “I'm the path which tells you to turn around.”

Okay! So we did and discovered the trail from a new
angle. And even though this trail runs very much in a straight line,
being an old railway track, it does take on a new look when changing
directions. There's new things to see that were missed before. You just
have to open your eyes with willingness.

Someone might charge, “There's nothing here. The trees
have lost their leaves. All appears dead or asleep. But No! Now the
textures of the bark are exposed. Bird condos are revealed, meaning
their nests are now in view. You see the depths of the trees and so on.

There's always something new if you believe in deeper
dimensions. Similarly, a look at this world could leave you with a
physical experience but look again and you will see a spiritual
dimension.

For today's combined practice of exercise and meditation on
sound, Mandala and I took to Ste. Catherine St. West up to the brewery
section. When the stench in the air became too much, we turned
around and went the other way until we walked enough to complete our
prescribed number of rounds (16) on our beads and to get at least 7
kilometres under our feet. It also worked out that by 7:30 AM
it was time to honour our guru, Srila Prabhupada, something which is
devotionally executed in temples, ashrams and homes all over the world.

While walking in Montreal, I only interrupt my chanting
when I see an oncoming person in order to greet them but I have to
remember to do so in the French medium. ”Bonjour!” I will say, having to
check myself from saying the Spanish “Olah!” which I do in Argentina
and Cuba, my regular destinations in November.

In our ashram in Montreal our communication is mostly in
English and French and when I deliver a class it is embarrassingly
rendered in English. My French is too poor, to be frank. Not all
persons who visit the ashram have a handle on French.

The most important issue is to communicate the science of
bhakti (devotion) and to learn how to avoid the stenches of Maya, the
worlds' illusions.

I like this quote about communication:

“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.”

Friday, 27 November 2015

Mandala and I were driven by the Megabus to Montreal
through the night. Bus transportation isn’t the best mode of travel.
There’s only one way of moving that I like. Guess what it is?

We took a chunk out of the day to appease the legs. We
headed for the Botanical Gardens off of Pie IX Blvd. - always a pleasant
place. To reach the gardens from our temple, one passes through the
landmark area of the Olympic Stadium. The stadium resembles a space
ship and reminds me of other places in the atmosphere where we might
venture. It has a futuristic look.

While walking, I was contemplating the incredible vimana (a
magnificent aircraft the size of a city, invisible at times) described
in the book, Srimad Bhagavatam. Shalva was the name of the captain of
that aircraft and he had a rather selfish disposition.

When you delve into other worlds and various means of transport, you do at least become mentally transported.

I hope that I was able to take my listeners, while I was
giving class, to some outer limits. I was asked to speak from 18.66 of
the Bhagavad Gita on the topic of surrender. It is generally understood
that when you alter your consciousness to a higher level of being, then
you have the freedom to travel to other spheres beyond the earthly
plane. Once going to the optimum place, known as Vaikuntha, you never
wish to return to this world of struggle, of birth and death.

It was the second day consecutively where either my driver
or my host was talking about what was on their mind. In general, that’s
what people do. The subject of one's talk is one’s projected
thoughts.

The talk was wrapped up in one subject – violence. The hashtag words
would be ‘Syria’, ‘Paris’, ‘Terrorists’, ‘ISIS’, ‘War’, ‘Refugees’.
People seem to be expressing their opinions about what to do about ugly
doings which are hiding behind religion. It is madness that seems to be
under the microscope as of late. How much of it can we take? Also,
how generous should one be, specifically for nations, considering how
many refugees to receive in the wake of people being displaced and who
live in fear?

I attended devotional programs at the homes of these two
individuals. The above topics did not enter into the joyous atmosphere
of our gatherings. It was before and after that the socio-political
concerns surfaced.

In general, problems always arise from the bodily
conception. The conceptions that ‘I am this body’ and ‘Anything
connected to this body is mine’, are false notions. They lead to false
controlism, false territorialism, and false identity.

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

I was sitting in the dentist’s chair while the assistant
was working at cleaning my teeth. At one point, I began to slightly
fade, a moment of fatigue hit me and the assistant could feel my teeth
closing in on her fingers.

“Sleepy?” she asked.

“Yes, a bit.”

I had little time to say much more as she had to press on
with her work but when I saw the opportunity I asked her, “Does it
happen to many clients or am I the only one?”

“Yes, it happens enough, especially at this time of day.” It was 3 PM.

It was a consolation hearing that. I lingered in that
thought, reasoning that if I’m a trite tired it’s because I’m working
hard for our mission in sharing higher consciousness with others.

The assistant did a nice job. I was complimented for
keeping my teeth maintained well, although in the past my brushing was
too aggressive. I take pride in the preservation of my teeth. I
believe it is maya, illusion, to neglect the body God has given us to
use as a tool in service to others.

I asked the assistant, “Your name?”

“Sophia.”

“As in Loren?”

“I wish,” she said and with a great smile.

From the dental clinic, Mandala, who was waiting for me,
and I walked to the home of a Krishna devotee. We took the scenic route
and captured the willow trees, golden leafed and set against a bold
blue sky, on our iPhone camera. It was such a clean look. And that’s
how we have to be – clean in consciousness before leaving this world.

Tuesday, 24 November 2015

It was a beautiful array of food on the spread of our
host’s table - pasta, paneer in sauce, subji, chickpeas in salad.
Chopped up jackfruit and pineapple were also featured. I should also
mention that there was homemade misty dahi, a dessert and another sweet
Bengali dish called chumchum. Chumchum for the tum tum. Our host,
Subal, had intended to kill us with cuisine kindness. He succeeded.

It was a good thing that our small group from the ashram
came walking to the home of Subal. The 4 km walk was well worth the
investment. It stoked up our digestive powers and after the meal and
gathering, we did the same thing home, keeping the fires within going.

At the home of Subal, we read about Krishna, His pastimes
and glories. We serenaded about Krishna in His aspect as Damodara.
Then we ate. Ah, it was good.

When looking at the phenomenal spread of eatables, our eyes
were delighted. Our tongues became active but the stomach stopped
cheering at a certain point. As a monk, I must watch and monitor the
intake. As of late, I’ve been doing better at controlling the eating
organs. I still have a ways to go.

Many, and I say MANY maladies pester humans due to
consuming food in overdrive. This holds true also for bhakti yogis, who
sometimes get carried away with an overload consumption of prasadam
(sanctified food). You can never deceive yourself by saying that,
because it is prasadam, therefore, you are protected regardless of
quantity. That type of reasoning may apply when trying to wean off of
drugs. Going from drugs to prasadam is a good transition.

Now, let’s say that you do not fall into that category but
you just want to reduce. Let’s try this. Whenever you look at a great
display of food and your eyes tell you there’s a certain quantity you
could handle it’s a good idea to reason with yourself at that point and
say, “I’ll take half of that.”

I met Paras, age 30, after a long time. I engaged him in
some of my dramas in the past. He’s on the verge of opening his own
restaurant.

“I’m vegetarian but I’ve got to serve some of the other
stuff,” he said, almost apologetically. I told him that I understand
and that it will take time for the world to get off of eating animal
body parts.

This evening we attended an event. The venue was Toronto
City Hall and the occasion was "A Diwali Remembrance". There we met
mayor John Tory. He remembers us (Keshava, Gayatri, and I) from the
summer’s Ratha Yatra festival. It was great to hear him say, “Hare
Krishna” and also congratulate me on the walking.

Speaking of walking, I decided to go home from that venue
on foot via Yonge Street, always the more interesting route compared to
blasé Bloor Street.

There I met a fellow who was curious.

“You’re a monk?” he asked.

“Yes! A Hare Krishna monk!”

“A hug?” he asked.

“Sure!” And so we embraced.

Then I met a man whom I had seen in Cuba. As usual, he was
puffing away on a cigar. He reminds me of a cross between George Burns
and a chimney. He always seems to sport a good smile.

“Hey, when are you going back to Cuba?” he asked.

“The end of this month.”

“Bring me back some cigars!”

“No, it’s no good for you. It turns your lungs into something ugly.”

“I’ve got a lot more ugly things going on with my life than a set of bad lungs.”

With that we both laughed. I kept walking, half amused and half empathetic.

Saturday, 21 November 2015

I encountered another insomnia attack last night. Let's see how the patterns goes. I thought that forty-five days of good hard work on the feet, walking, and regulation could cure sleeplessness. Lo and behold, soon after returning to home-base the old pattern seemed to return, hauntingly. What to do? I’ve tried everything under the sun to deal with the issue but I’m dealing with a stubborn ox. What can I, as a bhakti yogi, learn from stubbornness? I had to think about it.

Well, I will be very obstinate towards “Maya”, worldly temptations. I will say “NO!” to Maya’s beckoning and deny any offers from that department of illusion. I will try to see staunchness and stubbornness to be like a set of twins, good neighbours at least, who live on the same block together. Patience will also be a part of the same community.

Perhaps I’ll take up juggling and toss these three pins in the air, like balancing time, place, and circumstance together. It seems like a formula for easier living, beginning with the creature called stubbornness. I’m glad to meet with a challenge although initially it was uncomfortable when I saw insomnia coming on.

I’m learning from this, that whatever rears its ugly head is an act of God. In this way I am beginning to see divinity manifest all around.

I did manage to pace a bit during the time of apparent despair. The balcony of our ashram provided a good space as I addressed the little demon (Oops! Excuse me!) my little friend called Insomnia.

TRANSLATE

ABOUT ME

I am a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and I became a monk of the Hare Krishna order in 1973. My teacher gave me the spiritual name, Bhaktimarga Swami, which means "the path of devotion". Of course, this fits right in with my avid promotion of walking adventures as a way to connect with the Divine and lead a more care-free / car-free lifestyle. It is a great joy to share these adventures in both Canada and abroad with you via my daily blog.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AND FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

CONTACT THE WALKING MONK

FOLLOW BY EMAIL

SUBSCRIBE TO THE WALKING MONK

ARTICLE: BHAKTIMARGA SWAMI: A LIFE DRAMATIC

CLICK ON PHOTO TO READ FULL ARTICLE FEATURED ON ISKCON NEWS: To ISKCON devotees everywhere, the name Bhaktimarga Swami conjures up images of powerful, out-of-the-box stage productions; and of energetic kirtans, full of stomping dance moves and jubilant smiles...